"He was at the house, and we're really excited about that," Arians said of Pagano, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia. "That's probably as big as the win today. ... I'm sure he's feeling great right now.

"Hopefully, he (Pagano) didn't get too dag gone exhausted coaching from the bedroom, and his count didn't go down. As long as his count stays up, he'll be OK."

Pagano has missed Indy's last three games after being diagnosed with leukemia. He had been in the hospital receiving treatment since Sept. 26, and though he will continue to undergo treatment for several more weeks, Arians says he can at least stay home.

Pagano's physician, Dr. Larry Cripe, attended Sunday's game in person, but only said Pagano was in good spirits and was progressing well.

Players didn't know Pagano had been released until team owner Jim Irsay told them during a postgame speech. Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck called the news more thrilling than the win.

"I'm thrilled to hear that. I'm more thrilled about that than the win," he said.